On the Age of Upper Quaternary Deposits of the Northern Caspian Sea.

A set of methods (seismoacoustic profiling, analysis of continuous borehole sections, stratigraphic studies on malacofauna, and radioisotope age dating) was used to identify the Novocaspian, Mangyshlakian, Khvalynian, Atelian, Hyrkanian, and Upper Khazarian horizons in the Upper Quaternary deposits of the Northern Caspian shelf. Based on AMS radiocarbon and uranium-thorium dating, the time of their accumulation is determined, respectively, in the intervals of 0 to 8.5, 8.5 to 13, 13 to 50/60, 50 to 70, >60 to 120 and more than 120 000 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]